The Chronicles of Snickers
by BrokenDaisy
Summary: Sara and Nick, CSI's favourite for either being trapped in a glass box or under a car, for being stalked or held at gunpoint. So them being a couple wont change much then Huh?
1. Chapter 1

**New Story! I have one for all the GSR fans so why not have a little for all they snicker fans. Can't wait to see what you think and I hope you like it! Review if you have the time!**

The sirens became louder as they neared, she could hear them through the open window that was letting in a cold wave of air every so often, blowing the brown curtains into the room. Her apartment was a complete mess, tipped over furniture, broken pictures, things that were formally on the tables were now on the floor and the two bodies in the centre of the room lay lifelessly waiting.

She could see his lifeless eyes and she could only hope they didn't speak the truth. She couldn't move from her place on the floor, she lay paralyzed watching his eyes hoping. She tried to stretch her arm over to try and shake him and jolt him out of the unconscious state he was in but only her middle finger could reach his body, therefore not leaving her with enough power to jolt him awake.

She was freezing, the peach nightgown proving a hopeless heat conductor and with every wave of the wind strands of her hair blew over her face, but she couldn't move them away, she was stuck, trapped in the spot where she lay. Motionless.

Her eyes became heavy and tired but she knew closing them would prove fatal, the sirens came louder and she was glad to see the eerie red and blue glow outside her window, lighting up the midnight sky.

She was struggling to keep her eyes open by the time she heard footsteps leaping up the stairs; she was failing when she saw the door swing open.

Her eyes were closed by the time anyone had stepped in.

She awoke in a white hospital bed, the peach nightgown had been exchanged for a white hospital one and moving had become easier than it had been the last time she was conscious. She was hooked up to about 8 different wires, each of them pumping something into her body, or fastening her to a scary machine that stood beside her bedside. She gazed idly out of the window in her room; she couldn't bear to look at the drip that was plugged into her arm as it scared her so. Ever since she was a small child the "drippy drappy machine" had scared her.

Her head was spinning and moments of what seemed like a movie continued to play in her head. She hoped someone would walk through the door, for she needed reassurance she was actually here, she needed the feel of human life, the feeling that she wasn't alone.

She slowly lifted her hand to touch her throbbing head, to feel a plaster taped over it, the kind she had become accustomed to over the years, the plaster you received when there had been stitches. She couldn't think of any reason why she had needed stitches, she didn't remember any injuries like that to her head, she remembered lying on the floor gazing at his lifeless body.

"Oh god, Nick!" She whispered to herself. Clasping a bandaged hand over her mouth.

She lay a while, thinking of all possibilities that could have happened to Nick, the gnawing thoughts in the back of her head made their way through the good ones and left her with the thoughts of death. She was finally relieved to see someone walking past her through the corridor but she was wishing someone would come to her, so they could explain the events she couldn't remember.

She watched people pass her room, walking past without even looking at her. She smiled when she saw Catherine turn into her room. Something she never thought she would smile for.

"Hey Sara." She smiled, sitting down on one of the chairs, with one of those folders Sara had seen far too many times.

"Catherine." Sara smiled.

"How you doing, girl?" Catherine asked, crossing her legs in a very posh, business-like fashion.

"Good, seeing as im attached to about a hundred tubes." Sara said, picking up a clear tube with her finger, and raising her eyebrows at it.

"The doctors say you're doing really well." Catherine said, looking at all the wires attached to Sara.

"Which is why you're here, don't tell me. Interrogation time?" Sara asked, she had been in enough hospital beds, and unlike most people she had learned to look normal instead of small and ill.

"No, no, Ecklie wants that done in interrogation rooms at the lab with me and Brass asking the questions and Sofia and Ecklie observing every moment." Catherine said, bluntly.

"Great, this'll be fun." Sara frowned, it was bad enough this case was going to involve her and Nicks personal life, worse that it was going to involve Ecklie watching her describe to detail the happenings of a relationship.

"I'm sorry Sara." Catherine said, biting her bottom lip.

"How much did you win?" Sara asked.

"What?" Catherine asked, guessing she knew what Sara was talking about.

"Water Cooler Bets. Me and Nick. How much?" Sara said, chuckling a bit as the embarrassed face on the blonde became redder and redder.

"Greg owes me $20, Warrick owes me $10. And Lucky me I owe Brass $5." Catherin elaughed.

"Our relationship is worth 35 dollars?" Sara asked.

"No, 35 to me. All in all theres probably about 300 on your relationship."

"Gee thanks." Sara smiled.

"Don't you wanna know the bets?" Catherine asked, wiping a strand of loose hair away from her eyes.

"Guess it will give me something to think about."Sara said, regretting the words as they tumbled from her mouth.

"You and Nick getting together had about $90 on it and $60 against it. Couple and Friends with Benfits had $30 on Friends with Benefits and $3 on relationship." Catherine stopped as Sara spluttered and burst out laughing.

"Who was the three dollar gambler?" Sara asked.

"Mark from Ballistics." Catherine said.

"So carry on." Sara laughed.

"Em, sleeping together. Was $116 on Yes and one on no." Catherine pursed her lips together to stop the wave of laughter building up inside her escaping she watched Sara's Sidle smile and her cheeks turn pink.

"There was a bet on me and Nick sleeping together?" She asked, her grin in a an o shape and her cheeks a tickled pink.

"Criminalists get bored." Catherine stated.

"I can see that." Sara laughed.

"So you think you're ready to get interrogated?" Catherine asked.

"Yeah, but Catherine can you answer me two questions?" Sara asked, looking at the blonde who had moved over to the door.

"Why did I feel paralyzed then but im fine now?"

"You were in a state of shock, mixed with the blood pouring from the bullet wound in your back and the glass shard in your head you couldn't move even if you wanted to. Now your dosed with drugs and have no recollection of what happened. Which is why you're now thinking 'Whoah' I got shot?" Catherine said.

"Okay, yeah. Second question. How's Nick?"

"Minor injuries, woke a few hours before you did. Can't remember anything. Has enough bullet wounds in him to make him sink in a bath and is asking if you have woken up yet," Catherine said, smiling when she saw Sara beam when she told her she was asking for her.

"Can I see him?" Sara asked.

"Not until you're both in interrogation. Ecklie's orders." Catherine frowned.

"Tell him, Im okay and I miss him." Sara smiled.

"I will, oh and he wanted me to give you this." Catherine smiled, throwing over a white piece of paper folded in two with Sara's name written on it in a neat script.

Sara watched Catherine leave then opened the note.

"I hope this note gets to you, Ecklie said we couldn't talk and I suppose we shouldn't even be passing notes but I was bored in my room and only wanted to talk to you.

I hope you're okay, I'm fine according to the nurses. Most of them think im a little oest for I kept asking them to bring me through to you. Catherine talked to me, did you hear of the office bets?

I will admit to putting bets on people I work with but over $300 on bets about us I thought was crazy.

I can picture your face as you heard this news and I must say it is the only thing getting me through these hours.

Did you hear we are to be interrogated, about everything. I don't know about you but I really don't want to tell Catherine, Ecklie, Brass or Sofia about what I did last night. Well the pieces I can remember. I can't wait to see you. Xxx Nick Stokes."

Sara laughed at the image of Nick sitting in an interrogation chair, discussing the antics of what they did the night before.

**To Be Continued!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for everyone reading this story and an extra special thank you to those who reviewed, I'm really having fun writing this and i hope you're enjoying reading it! Review if you have the time! xx**

"Sara?" Brass asked, lightly tapping on the glass door to her hospital room.

"Hi." Sara said, looking up from the book she was reading.

"You ready to go?" He asked. Smiling softly.

"Im getting out?" Sara asked, putting the book open onto her lap.

"Yip, Catherine brought over some clothes for you." He said, emerging from his space at the doorframe to hand her the bag of neatly packed clothes.

"Thanks." Sara smiled awkwardly. Waiting for him to leave but without saying anything.

"Oh right, yeah. I'll be outside." Brass said, walking outside.

Sara dressed into the green tie-dye top Catherine had brought with her and wriggled into the jeans, slipping on the pink wool socks and shoving on her brown cowboy boots. She struggled getting most of the clothes on, realising how many muscles actually hurt in her body. She looked at the pink cardigan over in the bag. She was absolutely freezing but putting the cardigan would require more pain while opening the buttons and putting arms into it so she swung it over her arm and lifted the now mpty bag out the door.

"Hey, let me take that." Brass said, grabbing the bag as if it weighed tonnes.

"Thanks." Sara smiled, it felt strange walking. She was using muscles that she hadn't remembered she had.

She wobbled only to find Brass catch her in his arms.

"Hey Miss Wobbly." He laughed, swinging the bag over one shoulder and helping her to walk out.

Sara frowned and walked along beside Brass, his arm secured around her so she wouldn't fall.

"It's cold out; you should put your cardi on." Brass said, gesturing to the woollen pink material that Sara had over her left arm.

Sara bit her bottom lip.

Brass chuckled as he helped Sara into the cardigan.

"Sorry." Sara laughed, laughing more at the fact she could now do about as much as a four year old could do.

"Just so long as your okay." He smiled, helping her to his car. After he had her seated and strapped in he got in himself and started the ignition.

"Jim, is Nick out?" Sara asked, pulling down the sun visor for the car.

"Yeah, he's at the lab already. Got out about an hour ago, demands to see you before he starts the interview." Brass smiled, looking over at Sara who was hiding a foolish grin.

"Sounds like him." Sara smirked.

"Arrogant, Demanding and Awkward?" Brass raised his eyebrows.

"Won't listen to reason, Caring and sometimes Cocky." Sara reasoned.

"You date him because?" Brass asked.

"Im guessing the answer to that has to be said in an interrogation room with Ecklie's glare on us." Sara said.

"Yeah. Brass nodded, turning down a long road filled with houses.

Sara was escorted by Brass through the crowds of Media, into the lab and into the interrogation room that inside sat a rather battered Nick sat.

"Nick." She smiled, running and giving him a hug.

"Sara." He said, returning her hug and planting a kiss on her forehead.

Brass smiled at the reunion and went into the observation room where Catherine, Grissom, Sofia and Ecklie stood watching the two through the glass.

"I guess they know about us now?" Sara laughed, sitting on the corner of the table while Nick sat on the chair.

Nick laughed and took her hand in his. "Im so glad you're okay, Sara."

"Me? I was still awake they found me, I wasn't the one lying on the floor showing no signs of life at all." Sara said.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Nick sniggered until he received a light playful whack on his arm.

"It feels weird being on this side of the glass." Sara said, looking over in the direction of the one way glass window that they both knew Catherine, Grissom, Ecklie, Brass and Sofia all stood behind listening to everything they were saying and watching every move of their friends.

"It will feel even weirder being interrogated about what we did last night by our friends." Nick reminded.

"I'm really dreading that part." Sara laughed.

"I really don't remember much, Sara. I remember everything until I saw you in the kitchen in the dark with him." Nick said, frowning at the memory.

"I remember everything until roar of a gun." Sara sighed.

"I'm so sorry." Nick said.

"You'd better tell them you shot me in the shoulder." Sara giggled. Everyone behind the glass gasped until Catherine burst out laughing.

"Well you are always complaining their always in danger, getting shot, kidnapped, stalked. Now their together double the trouble. They have even resulted in shooting each other." Catherine giggled.

"Relationship troubles with these two could have a bad result." Sofia said, quietly to Catherine.

They both burst out laughing until Ecklie's firm gaze cast a silence on the two of them.

"I scraped your shoulder, the doctors didn't even recognise it as a bullet wound." Nick laughed, remembering his not so great shot.

"Yeah, yeah." Sara laughed.

"Sara, can you come with me?" Brass asked, pooping his head round the door.

"Okay." Sara nodded, quickly kissing Nick on the cheek, then turning to walk away but he took her arm and made her kiss him on the lips.

"Let's give them something to talk about." He whispered.

"They'll be talking about more at the end of shift." Sara whispered back, walking away into the opposite interrogation room with Brass.

Nick waited, watching Sara leave and walk carelessly into the room made him braver than he had been and he awaited his interrogators presence.

"So you and Sara, Huh?" Catherine asked, walking into the room with her grin plastered all over her face.

"Here we go." Nick mumbled under his breath, before laughing with his supervisor.

"Hey, so Sara. How do you feel?" Brass asked, sitting at the interrogation table and clasping his fingers together.

"I'm good." Sara smiled. Realising by the tone in Brass's voice and the way his head was tilted in the direction of the window she knew Ecklie was watching.

"So I would like you to take me through your night." Brass said, using easy tines and sounding like he was talking to a five year old.

"From the time I left the lab?" Sara asked, playing along.

"From the time you left the lab." Brass nodded.

"We walked out together, walked to our cars, 3rd floor North East area of the parking lot. She got her keys in the car door and I crept up behind her…" Nick smiled.

"He put his hands on the car, trapping me in between him and the car and then he…" Sara laughed.

"Kissed her." Nick said, biting his bottom lip to stop the reaction on Catherine's face making him burst out into laughter.

"I'm pretty sure it's on the security cameras. After that he whispered to me that he didn't want to go home alone to his empty apartment." Sara said, watching Brass scribble down into his notebook.

"She took me back to her place, which is why my car's still in the parking lot." Nick said.

"We stopped for breakfast at about 2am, small diner beside my apartment." Sara nodded.

"What did you have?"Brass asked Sara.

"She had a small coffee with a 99 ice cream. And I had a large coffee as I was about to drop and an ice-cream." Nick said, answering the question Catherine had asked him.

"Last night was one of the coldest nights this year." Catherine said, raising her eyebrows.

"We're not exactly the most normal couple ever." Nick responded.

"The waitress that served us was Tallula, there was a man in a baseball cap beside the window reading a newspaper eating a bagel and a woman on a phone to her right eating a Danish and drinking an extra large coffee." Sara remembered the diner as it had been the night before.

"We left the diner at about quarter to three, got to my apartment at…" Sara said, letting out a breath and watching the black window that she knew Ecklie was gazing through.

"3am, we got to her apartment at about 3. She drew all the curtains when she came in and switched on the lamp beside her sofa." Nick said, letting out a sigh. "That's when I got things started."

Catherine was biting her bottom lip, she really didn't want to hear any more than that as Nick was like a brother to her but she took a deep breath and smiled.

"I know you don't want to say the rest to me."

"He pulled me onto the sofa when I came back through from closing the bedroom curtains." Sara stopped, silently refusing to speak any more to Brass, the father figure she never had.

"It's okay, we'll have a rest for now." Brass said, picking his notebook up and walking out leaving Sara to thump her head onto the table.

"Why do I have to do this?" She thought.

Brass met Catherine in the corridor as she walked out of the room.

"Don't tell me got to the sofa then shut off." Brass asked.

"You can't blame them Jim, it's awfully intrusive and we're best friends. You wouldn't want to be in their positions now would you?" Catherine stated.

"Mmm, looks like we're going to have to bring in the big guns." Brass frowned.

"Sara and Nick will love us forever." Catherine said, walking into the observation room where Grissom, Sofia and Ecklie had gathered.

"Can't we just skip until when the intruder came in?" Sofia asked.

"Yeah, we really don't need every detail." Catherine said. Pursing her lips together.

"We don't know what happened though." Ecklie stated.

"Im sure you can guess." Catherine rolled her eyes.

"There is no evidence to back it up." Ecklie argued, his most favourite hobby ever.

"Both found half naked, both don't want to say anymore, im sure you could find evidence in the apartment." Sofia said, she had a knew found hate for Ecklie since he demoted her and found any chance to argue with him a lovely opportunity.

"It gives us enough for reasonable belief." Catherine said.

"Fine, Catherine and Jim you'll be staying here, you've done enough. I'll talk to Miss Sidle, Sofia take Mr Stokes." Ecklie ordered.

"Sara won't talk to you." Everybody chorused looking at Ecklie, even Brass and Grissom who had been relatively quiet spoke up.

"So Ecklie, I'll take Sara you can have Nick." Sofia said, handing him Nicks file and walking off with Sara's.

"You should have never demoted her." Catherine smiled. As Ecklie scowled and walked away into Nicks interrogation room.

Brass and Grissom laughed at Catherines witty remark and Brass left to watch Sara's interrogation.

"I think Ecklie has a thing either for or against Sara. He always picks on her." Grissom said, gazing through the glass at Nick.

"They clash, it will always be a war between them. Ecklie's an over-contolling man and Sara will hate him till the day one of them die because I think he reminds her of her father. And he just doesn't get it." Catherine shrugged her shoulders.

Grissom looked at her, but she took no notice. Just stayed watching Nick and Ecklie.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the reviews, im so glad you're enjoying this story a massive shout-out to Cinderella9056 who pressed every button on the review page, and a special thank you to RollWithIt who has reviewed to both of my chapters. WEll as a present heres the third.**

**Thanks Guys.**

"Sofia?" Sara exclaimed, watching the blonde walk over to the empty seat and sit down, putting the file on the table. "I was pretty sure I'd be stuck with Ecklie."

"You were going to be." Sofia laughed.

"This is making a big thing out of a small thing isn't it, just because me and Nick won't go into details? You don't need them." Sara said.

"Ecklie." Sofia said, making herself comfortable on the plastic chair.

"Enough said." Sara muttered.

"So how long have you been dating?" Sofia asked, acting like a friend in a bar other than a cop in an interrogation room.

"Little over two months." Sara smiled.

"Whoah, they were dating for two months and we didn't find out?" Catherine exclaimed walking into the observation room Brass stood in.

"Looks like your CSI skills need a bit of brushing up on." Brass chuckled.

"My CSI skills are great; Sara and Nick are just those CSI's that you hope will never commit murder because the CSI team working on the case will be screwed." Catherine said.

"When was the first time you slept together?" Sofia asked.

"Last night." Sara said, she hadn't wanted to answer the question but the way Sofia was throwing questions at her made her feel like she had no other choice but to answer it.

"Who started it?" Sofia asked, looking straight at Sara not writing down notes like Brass had done.

"Nick." Sara laughed.

"What happened afterwards?" Sofia asked.

"We fell asleep, it was around 4:20 maybe. I woke up an hour later because I heard something, I walked through to the kitchen and there was a dim light on in the room, it gave enough light to be able to see the shape of the man but I didn't get a description of his face. He saw me and freaked, hurling anything her could lay a hand on. He had a gun on his belt but he didn't use it. Nick came through and at that moment the man grabbed me and forced the gun to my back. I kicked him and got free when Nick fired a bullet from the gun that he had on the bedroom sidetable. It scraped my shoulder and hit the man in the chest but I think we had a bullet proof vest on underneath his black jumper.

He ran from where he was to the window pushing over everything in his path but Nick caught him and wrestled him to the ground. He only succeeded in moving Nick to the centre of the floor, that's when he shot him, three times close contact for the first one to the back. I ran to help Nick when he hit the vase over my head, I fought him till he landed on the coffee table when he tried to shoot me but his clip was jammed, I tried to call the police then I got to 911 and it began to ring but then the effects of the vase came into play and I felt dizzy that's when I was shoved onto the coffee table breaking it and hitting my head on the wooden leg. I lay for what seemed like 3 hours but must only be at most half an hour until I heard the sirens then I passed out as I heard the footsteps on the stairs, he had already gone by then exited through the window." Sara took a deep breath as she finished, relieved to be sitting in silence. She gasped as she realised she had remembered everything but now she couldn't remember a thing.

"Thank you Sara." Sofia nodded. Noticing the paleness of the stocky brunette across from her.

"She remembered." Catherine smiled.

Sara was allowed to step into Nick's observation room to watch once she had finished, she stood between Grissom and Catherine. Watching Nick's interrogation.

"So Nick, after you realised Sara was gone what did you do?" Ecklie asked spitefulness in his tone, a diluted version of the one he would have used for Sara.

"My gun sat on the table next to the bed but I didn't expect I'd need it I walked through to find her, she was being held by a man, medium build maybe 6 foot. The first thing I saw was the gun on his belt, Sara's gun sat on the cabinet beside the door so I reached back to get that not taking my eyes off of the man for a moment. I shot at him but I scraped Sara's arm and hit him in what must have been a bulletproof vest." Nick opened his mouth to continue but Ecklie held his hands up.

"So wait you're telling me you shot Sara, your girlfriend." Ecklie choked out the last word.

"Yes, but I swear I didn't mean it and I'm not one for using guns to solve any kind of problem apart from when a guy has a gun at me." Nick blabbered, Catherine and Sara laughed, Grissom and Brass chuckled and Sofia rolled her eyes.

" Okay, carry on." Ecklie sighed, bored with the ramblings of Nick Stokes, all he wanted to do was fire one or both of these two for relations with co-workers.

"I remember fighting him and going down but then it's pretty much all hazy." Nick explained.

"Okay, you'll be on three days suspension and you'll be in a safe house that I'll have set up for you." Ecklie muttered, picking his folder and leaving.

"You too Sidle." Ecklie frowned facing the glass.

* * *

"Need a ride home?" Nick asked, walking beside her, expertly flicking his keys up and down not looking at them but catching them every time.

"I forgot your car was still here." Sara laughed, reaching a hand out and grabbing the keys from the air.

"Hey." He smiled, taking them from her after tickling her sides.

"Hey." Sara giggled doubling over, willing herself to stop and act more Sara-ish instead of like a high school girl.

"Yeah, I didn't really get home last night." He grinned.

"Let's not replay that episode for a while, cowboy." Sara laughed, as they walked out into the car park the last sentence not escaping the ears of a man called Hodges first though.

* * *

Sara swung the small rucksack over her shoulder, it had everything she was going to need for the next three days in the safety of a so-called safe house. Both her and Nick had protested of course arguing that they could look after themselves and they were completely capable of working the case but Grissom had refused, mostly because Ecklie had been watching them listening into the conversation and Grissom really couldn't do with yet another battle between himself and the man the Devil christened Ecklie.

Sara laughed as she watched Nick walk through the corridor to the break-room where they had been told to wait for their driver/security guards/co-workers. He was lugging a massive suitcase behind him.

"Geez, didn't you get the memo. You're only going for three days." Greg chuckled from his place on the run down couch.

"I like to be prepared." Nick shrugged, walking over to Sara who was sitting at the table, nursing a cup of coffee and ignoring the fact that the rucksack she had just fixed onto her shoulder had slid down to her elbow.

"Hey, Sara." He said kissing her on the cheek.

Greg wolf-whistled making all the bored lab-rats turn from theirs spots behind light tables to see where the drama was.

Sara and Nick both glared at him and Sara cheekily kissed Nick on the lips passionately making Greg cringe and shift uncomfortably on his chair.

"Get a room." Catherine muttered, walking in and seeing the exchange between the two.

"We did, it's called a safe-house." Nick said.

"Better not do any of that in the safe-house, Ecklie installed Camera's and he's already looking for a reason to fire your butts." Catherine explained.

"He can't, we're not on the same shifts anymore thanks to him, we could date if we wanted to." Sara stated.

"Better remind him that, I think he's getting forgetful with age." Catherine gestured with her hands, making swirls with her finger beside her head.

"Wouldn't him hear you say that." Greg said.

"If I wasn't a self respected woman with a daughter and a job to keep I would tell it to his face." Catherine said.

"What would you like to tell me Catherine?" Ecklie asked, poking his head round the door and looking at Catherine.

"Not me, Sara and Nick have something they wanted to share with you though." Catherine said, turning to Nick and Sara.

"You can't fire us for dating each other, we're not even on the same shifts." Sara stated, using this time to speak her mind.

"Yeah, I'm on Swing, she's on Graves." Nick said.

Ecklie glared at the two and carried on walking.

"Oh and Ecklie I think you're going senile."Catherine called quietly after him, not quite loud enough for him to hear, she hoped.

* * *

"Ecklie!" Hodges cried, rushing after the man who had just passed his lab.

"Yes, Hodges." Ecklie sighed.

"I have some disturbing news about two of your employees." He started.

* * *

"Miss Sidle, Mr Stokes." Charles Benwight the driver had arrived and now stood before them in the break room.

" Charlie!" Greg smiled, bumping fists with the old man.

"Greggo, it's good to see you again." Charlie greeted, doing a lame "cool" guy handshake.

"So, where are you raking us Charles?" Nick asked.

"Please, my mother calls me Charles and she's ninety three, call me Charlie or Chars."Charlie laughed.

"So where are we going?" Sara asked politely.

"Well, lil miss, we're going to a lovely suburban house away from the strip and in a lovely neighbourhood." Charlie smiled, showing his crooked teeth and sounding like a game-show host.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! Another Chapter! Kinda cute and sappy for just now but we'll move onto other things later...**

**Drop a review if you have the time!**

Nick gazed out of the car window as it passed the pretty silent houses, every so often there would be kids playing in a pristine garden. The sun blaring down on the happy life beneath him, this was definitely the more beautiful side to Sin City. He looked at a house passing by where a couple were sat on a swinging chair, completely relaxed watching two children playing with their dog while keeping an eye on a smiling toddle who sat in a small paddling pool with what must have been her mother's sunhat on her head as it looked as if it sat on her nose.

He saw himself like that one day, Happy. And he couldn't shake the picture that the woman beside him was Sara Sidle, with a gold wedding ring on her finger glistening in the Summer Sun and a tiny paint splodge on her top because their two eldest children had insisted she do finger-painting with them.

He looked at the woman that sat in the back seat diagonally across from his in the passenger seat, she was looking out at the houses that sped by, smiling as she saw everything around her.

"What?" She asked, turning to see him watching her.

"Nothing." He grinned foolishly. He couldn't tell her, not right now but definitely another time.

Sara mimicked his grin then turned to the window again.

It was like looking through a window to a different world, one she wasn't used to but was strangely drawn to. She never thought of herself as someone who could live like this. Everyone who knew her knew her views on marriage, the idea of being tied to someone. She had seen what it had done to her parents; her mother was too loyal to her husband and therefore never left though she needed to, to save herself. Sara couldn't bear to live through that again and she was always watching the way her character acted, hoping to catch it before she became who her father was. She couldn't bear to be a victim to abuse and she could never put a child through what she had to go through.

But something made her trust Nick, she didn't trust most men but Nick came easily into her life. She could never see him turn into a drunken abuser and when she though t of it she could see her and Nick living as one. Tied together. Married. But he would never know what she thought.

Charlie stopped outside a pretty white-washed home, it looked identical to the ones next to it and no-one could guess that it wasn't a lovely family living there and in fact there was two Criminalists in a safe-house.

"G'day folks."Charlie smiled, tipping an imaginary hat to them as they were escorted by Catherine and Warrick into their new house.

"We have to go now guys, we'll be back every hour and there's hidden uniforms all around the terrace, number one on speed-dial alerts everyone on the frequency and have fun." Warrick smiled, walking down the steps to the vehicle parked outside. Catherine turned to go but not after whispering to Nick and Sara.

"There are two bedrooms; I'd stay in your own if I was you and there's cameras in every room apart from the bathroom." She chuckled. Flouncing her blonde hair and turning to follow Warrick.

"What does she expect us to do?" Sara muttered, looking at Nick's foolish grin she held up her hands in surrender. "Say no more!"

"Dibs on the master bedroom." He grinned, running up the stairs with his bag.

"Fine by me." She laughed, walking up the stairs at a slow relaxed pace.

"Aren't you supposed to shout 'No way, the master bedrooms mine' and play the woman card?" Nick asked, coming out into the corridor.

"That sounds like something Catherine would do, not me." Sara shrugged. Walking into the single room that was simply decorated with pink walls and white carpet and ceiling.

"I kinda like living with you." Nick smiled, standing at Sara's doorframe.

"We've only been here a few minutes." Sara smiled, turning round and smiling back at him.

"Still." Nick grinned.

"Who do you think watches the camera footage?" Nick asked, pointing to the big black camera in the corner of the wall.

"Right now, probably Greg and Warrick or maybe Sofia or Grissom or Ecklie." Sara answered.

"Isn't it a bit stalker-ish to have cameras in someone's bedroom?" Nick asked.

"Probably, but this is a breaking and entering and assault investigation. I guess it's for safety." Sara said, removing her black leather jacket slowly as the pain of moving had still not yet gone away.

"Here let me help you." Nick said, walking over to her and pulling on her leather jacket so it slid away from her. He chucked it on the wicker chair where she had dumped her bag and put his chin on her shoulder, she turned her head to look at him staring up at her. Her face said it all, the whole "what on earth are you doing." Expression mixed with hints of laughter and "it's really okay, really."

"What are we supposed to do for three days?" Sara asked the head on her shoulder.

"Garden?" Nick suggested, looking out of Sara's window and into the back garden where a lonely tree stood surrounded by bushes, flowers and a brown fence.

"M'kay." Sara smiled, felling him move his head up along her cheek until he was at the same level as her. He kissed her on the cheek making her giggle then he took her by the hand and walked down to the garden.

"Hey the tree has a swing." Sara admired, walking over to the wooden plank suspended with two thick pieces of heavy duty rope. She walked round it twice then felt Nick grab her by the hand and force her to sit down in his lap on the swing.

He gently kicked it back and forward with his foot, the swing swinging higher with every push. He gripped onto her tightly with one hand and with the other he held the rope while she sat with one hand on the rope and one hand on his that was wrapped around her abdomen. He found it enjoyable just being there with her and he knew that if they had been children together he would have always let her have half of his cookies, he would always let her go on the swing first and he knew that he would always think that one day, just one day he'd marry that girl in pigtails that he kissed before leaving her, a trait that made their parents aww and laugh. He knew if they had been a child together they might have been able to protect each other, he knew if he and Sara had been children together he would have never let her father hurt her or her mother even if he was only a four foot high child that pretended he could fly at breaktime.

She turned around to face him which took him from his trance.

"I like living with you too." She smiled.

Yeah, they might become that couple Nick had seen but they would never have a swinging chair, a wooden swing would do them.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey guys, who wants Chinese?" Greg asked, bounding into the house with 4 bags of Chinese food from the restaurant around the corner form the lab.

"Guys?" He repeated, quickly poking his head through every door.

"Are you looking for Nick and Sara?" The uniforms asked, coming in from the kitchen with bottles of water.

"Yeah, have you seen them?" Greg asked, stopping one of the bags from falling.

"They're outside." One of the uniforms reported, pointing over to a glass patio door that led out into the large garden.

"Great to see you're doing your job guys." Greg nodded, heading out of the house, juggling the slipping bags.

As he stepped out on to the wooden patio he saw Nick and Sara over on the swing engaged in a passionate kiss.

He dumped the bags on the table inside the house and then crept outside; hiding behind every pot plant and tree until he found his way behind the tree Sara and Nick were swinging on.

"Hey guys!" He smiled speaking overly cheery and happy. Even for Greg. "It's cold out Sara dear, I'd keep that pretty little cardigan on."

Sara and Nick drew apart laughing, Nick was fiddling with the last button on Sara's cardigan which led to Greg smacking his hand away.

"Hey Greggo." Sara smirked, fixing her cardigan back onto her shoulders.

"Mm, hey Greggo." Nick smiled, speaking in a less enthusiastic tone as Sara's had been.

"Want some Chinese?" Greg asked, gesturing to the open door of the house.

"Sounds good." Sara nodded, hopping off Nick's knee and holding out a hand for him.

"Thanks." Nick said, grabbing her hand and effortlessly letting her pull him from his seat.

"So how's life in the Sidle-Stokes household." Greg asked, picking up his discarded jacket that he had thrown on the bench when playing spies.

"Houses are boring." Sara shrugged.

"The swing?" Greg asked, winking at them both.

"The best part." Nick smirked, making Sara chuckle.

As they stepped into the house the three began to set the table, they set out 5 plates and made a buffet like thing in the middle then invited the uniforms to dine with them. They accepted gratefully and soon all five were sitting at the table, occasionally eating the meal but mostly talking and trying to make their napkins into different origami creatures.

"Hey it's a blob." Greg grinned placing a scrunched piece of napkin down on the table.

"That was what you were doing all this time?" The uniform called Andy asked.

"It takes true skill to make an even perfectly shaped blob." Greg countered, modelling his blob.

"Hey it's a swan!" Marie- the other uniform- declared, holding up her strange shaped bird.

"Or a butterfly?" Sara smiled, fiddling with her own napkin.

"What are you making, Sara?" Nick asked, producing his own half frog.

"Giraffe." She stated.

"What? Let's See!" Greg said excitedly.

Sara shrugged and held up her own work of art, it was little and cartoon-like but resembled a giraffe even so, she had made little slits in the napkin with her knife and had mostly shaped it by cutting with her knife but it still looked adorable.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Nick said, picking up the remains of her napkin.

"It's a paper napkin Nick." Sara reasoned, but went quiet when he held up his frog that had now been completely finished.

"Golly." Marie exclaimed.

"It's so cute Nick." Sara smiled, stroking it with her finger.

"Mars. We have to go, perimeter search before the next two nightshift uni's come." Andy said, standing up and clearing his plate and Marie's into the sink.

"Mars?" Greg asked, the cheery mousy brown haired girl sitting next to him.

"Not a nickname that's supposed to be used at work." She laughed, before heading out.

"Hey, you two aren't the only ones in the precinct having a discreet relationship." Greg whispered.

"Ours isn't discreet anymore, Greggo. This whole case is based on it." Nick reminded him.

"True, Greg yawned. "Hey it's past ten, I'm due to leave now."

"Who's the next co-worker to go on baby-sitting duties?" Sara asked, staching all the plates up and clearing the table.

"Sofia, six am tomorrow till 10 in the morning then she switches to Warrick for 4 hours then you are alone for 5 then im back, then Catherine switches with me for an hour then you are alone until Sofia starts again." Greg explained.

"Okay then, see you tomorrow Greggo." Nick said, bumping fists across the table with his spikey haired friend.

"See you Greg." Sara smiled leaning over to pick up the empty bags from the table. Greg lent over and kissed her on the cheek.

"See ya, Sara." He chuckled. Walking off.

"I don't want to find you on that swing when I get back tomorrow; especially not kissing or I may have to tell Conrad." Greg shouted behind him.

"Bye Greg!" Sara and Nick shouted.

"You don't have to do that, Honey." Nick smiled, leaning over her so his head was leaning on her shoulder.

"There's a camera right above us." Sara giggled, feeling him kiss her neck.

"Let's give em something interesting to watch then." Nick smiled, moving his way to her lips.

She kissed him back and then turned to exit the room carrying the empty bags. She sat them in the bin and turned around to find him there.

"You don't give up, do you?"She asked.

"Nope, you're too pretty." He grinned.

"Nu uh." She smiled, bopping his nose with her finger.

"Uh huh." He said, bopping her nose with his finger.

She kissed him quickly before walking through to the large living room and over to the C.D player. She switched it on and collapsed into the couch.

He followed her like a puppy and sat almost on top of her on the couch.

She laughed and twisted herself around so she was lying against him but he lifted her so she was lying on him. He began to hum along to the music, even though he had never heard it before. She laughed at his attempt and looked down at his face. Her hand holding her face and her elbows on his chest. He looked up at her and then moved in to kiss her only to find the sofa decide it no longer liked his occupants and made them roll off.

"Well that worked." She laughed, wriggling away from their tangle on the floor.

"Need bigger sofa." Nick noted.

"Need to learn to hide relationships, Darlins." Marie giggled from the doorway, standing with her arm latched with Andy's.

"We'll keep that in mind." Sara and Nick said simultaneously.


	6. Chapter 6

There was a rustling in the kitchen that woke Nick, he instinctively grabbed his gun from its place on the nightstand. Softly pounding down the stairs he stood at the kitchen door, his gun raised and hand on the handle. He swung it open and walked through on high alert.

"Nick?" Sara asked from her seat on the table in the centre, a glass of water in her hand.

"Sara?" Nick let out a breath of relief. "Sorry, not used to sharing a house with someone."

"It's okay." Sara smiled, placing her glass on the table then removing his gun from his clenched hand and placing it beside it.

She levered herself back up onto the table so she was level with him and grinned.

"We have uniforms inside and around the perimeter, he doesn't know where we are and truthfully he might not even know who we are, it might have just been a robbery gone bad." Sara shrugged.

"Sara, Catherine told me that there were three things missing from your apartment. Your Photo Album, Address Book and your Mother and Father's wedding rings." Nick explained. "They found a print on the counter; it was your Dad's."

"Nick my Dad's been dead for 23 years, my Mum killed him, stabbed him. 13 times. Look at the file. He's dead, Nick." Sara shivered at the memory.

"Sara, you told Grissom he left after he was stabbed and they found a body in the river the next day with your father's ID, there wasn't any DNA or Fingerprints then in your towns small lab. What if it wasn't your father Sara? What if it was some other guy, you and your mother wouldn't identify the body and he could have given the ID to one of his buddies. Your Mother never told anyone how many times she stabbed your Father, you just took the M.E's word for it." Nick said, looking into her coffee brown eyes.

"It wasn't him." Sara whispered.

"What?" Nick asked startled.

"It wasn't my Dad that they found, he came back the night after the body was found and told us he was leaving, we weren't to tell." Sara whispered.

"Sara, why did you keep it a secret all these years?" Nick asked, holding her shaking hands.

"I liked the idea of my Dad being dead, that way he couldn't hurt us." Sara said.

"But your Mother was arrested, put in a hospital for the rest of her life." Nick wrinkled his forehead.

"She had to be, she did stab him after all, only she stabbed him twice, once to the thigh then to the chest." Sara felt a warm tear fall down her cheek.

"You saw it?" Nick said, it was more of a statement that a question.

"I came through to try and break it up like I'd always done." Sara gulped. "But I couldn't, I just stood and watched. I should have stopped it!"

"Sara you were eight." Nick reasoned.

"Nick, I've never told anyone the truth." Sara said.

"What else have you never told anyone Sara?" Nick asked, sensing there was more to Sara Sidle than anyone knew.

"My middle name's Annelise." Sara shrugged, trying to create some light humour to steer away from the painful memories.

"Really?" Nick asked. Laughing a little and raising an eyebrow. "Sara Annelise Sidle."

"After my Grandmother, so Nick what have you never said." Sara asked, chuckling and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I grew up with seven sisters who would dress me up in my mum's clothes and smother make-up on me until I was nine." Nick laughed at the memory.

"How many times have you been in love?" Sara asked.

"Twice, once when I was three. A girl called Avery, I even asked her to marry me." Nick smiled.

"What did she say?" Sara asked.

"She was going to marry Ken so her sister would be Barbie."

"The other?" Sara smiled.

"When I was 29, I met a girl who was 27 and instantly fell in love with her, and still am." Nick smirked.

"5 years? Long time. What's her name?" Sara asked, smiling.

"Something that starts with S, I think. Sally, Maybe. Sandra?" Nick chuckled.

"Sara, Maybe?" Sara smiled, kissing his cheek.

"That's it, Sara Sidle." Nick grinned. "How many times have you been in love?"

"Once." Sara said.

"Who?" Nick asked.

"Nicky Stokes, met him Summer of 99. Throwing dummies off of a roof." Sara smiled.

"You were the hot brunette talking to Grissom?" Nick asked, faking surprise.

"Uh huh." Sara smiled, letting him lift her off of the table and spin her around.

-TCOS-

"You wake up too early!" Nick yawned, padding through the door into the kitchen where Sara was singing along to the radio while dancing with her coffee.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Sara smiled.

"I don't mind being woken by your voice, or the smell of coffee for that matter. I was simply stating a fact." Nick grinned, pouring himself a cup of the freshly brewed coffee.

"The smell of coffee I'll give you, but how on earth could you like waking up to me singing?" Sara asked, running her finger along the rim of the mug.

"It's beautiful, and I don't mind waking up to you dancing in your PJ's either." He teased.

"Cute, but I don't dance." Sara said.

"Wanna bet." He grinned.

He placed his mug down and grabbed her hands, rocking them side to side in a mock of ballroom dancing to a song neither of them had heard before.

"I'm not used to waking up to the sun." Sara laughed, as he twirled her across the pale tile floor.

"I agree, I'm used to falling into bed at this time." Nick nodded.

"Still fully clothed, making a pact to go for a shower in the morning, give your apartment a quick tidy and go shopping for food to fill up your fridge instead of all the old take-out junk." Sara said.

"The just as you fall asleep there's a message alerting you of a 419 in Henderson and you realise you don't have anything to wear because you haven't managed to do the laundry in a week."Nick continued.

"So you jump in the shower, check all your laundry for something clean to wear, run out of the house stop to get a cup of coffee then get down to the lab where you are told the single homicide became a triple and your shift is bumped to a double." Sara finished.

"Our lives are mental." Nick laughed. "It's nice to have some time away from it."

"I'm still relishing in the fact, the sun is coming up and I'm awake, I just got up from a good night's sleep and I have the next two days spent entirely with you." Sara smiled.

"Mm, I like the sound of that." Nick said, leaning into kiss her.

"Am I interrupting anything?" The British accent came from the doorway, where a tall blonde stood.

"Sophia." Sara and Nick greeted.

"Sorry I'm late." Sophia said.

"I wish you were later." Nick grinned, receiving a smack on the arm from Sara and a smile from Sophia.

"Sorry, but I am being paid to be punctual. I'll leave you alone for a bit while I go and talk to the Officers out front. Don't get to touchy feely now, camera's are above you." Sophia winked before heading out.

"I completely forgot about them." Nick grinned sheepishly.

"Figures, otherwise I think you would be wearing more than boxers and a T-shirt." Sara looked him up and down.

"I completely forgot." Nick blushed.

"They don't exactly leave much to the imagination Nick." Sara smirked.

"Sophia saw me like this?" Nick felt himself go a deeper red.

"Yeah, I'd get changed before Warrick gets here though." Sara laughed.

"I'll go get changed now." He smiled, giving her a kiss on the cheek before heading upstairs.

"Me too, I could use a shower."

"Don't use all of the hot water." Nick called from halfway up the stairs.

"I'll try." Sara said, pacing up the stairs and heading into her room, to grab her towel and a change of clothes.

She stepped into the bathroom and turned the shower on, as it steamed up the mirror she saw a message left on it appear.

"Hey beautiful." Sara laughed as she read it and hopped into the shower.

When she came out she wrapped a towel around her body and looked up to see Nick standing at the sink brushing his teeth with a pink toothbrush.

"Hey beautiful." He grinned, spitting into the sink and looking over at her.

"Hey charmer." She laughed, taking the smaller towel and attacking her dripping hair with it.

"What do you want to do today?" He asked, as he rubbed his face with a cloth.

"What can you do in a house?" Sara asked.

"I don't remember." Nick frowned, it had been so long since he had been awake at home for more than an hour.

"What do adults do in a house nowadays?" Sara asked.

"Well." Nick smiled.

"Never mind, I don't even remember what kids do to amuse themselves." Sara laughed, avoiding the thought of what she knew he was thinking.

"Me neither." Nick shrugged.

"Do you think you could let me change?" Sara asked, looking at him. He was standing leaning against the sink.

"I'll make breakfast." HE smiled, walking out.

Sara shook her head and laughed.

She wandered downstairs and met Sophia and Nick downstairs engaged in a conversation as Nick flipped pancakes.

Sara stood outside the door so they couldn't see her and listened to their conversation.

"Does she know?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah, I talked to her last night." Nick replied.

"She's holding up well." Sophia said.

"She was put through hell as a child, I don't think she wants to relive it as an adult."

"When you look at her she looks normal, not like someone who was put through hell." Sophia frowned.

"She's strong, maybe a little too strong, but she's doing well."Nick added.

Sara rand her fingers through her hair, they were talking about her like she had heard the social workers used to do.

She choose that moment to walk in, a fake smile on her face.

"Hey Sara, want some Banana Pancakes?" Nick grinned, holding up the pan in his left hand.

"Always." Sara smiled as she grabbed three plates from the cupboard along with three forks.

"Sara, Ecklie wants you to come in again tomorrow, it's about your parents." Sophia said. Nick shot her a 'why didn't you tell me?' glance but Sophia waved it off.

"Sure." Sara smiled, she didn't want to discuss with anyone her family ties but she knew she had to.

"I'll pick you up around eleven tomorrow?" Sophia nodded.

"Okay." Sara smiled, sitting at the table.

They ate in relative silence, the occasional clinking of metal against clay until Nick spoke up.

"Are you sure, you'll be okay?" Nick asked Sara.

"Family Ties, mine's were never really there. I'll be fine, it's been dealt with." Sara nodded, popping a square of pancake in her mouth.

"Did you see a psychologist?" Sophia asked.

"From the time it happened till I was eighteen, we never really got through much. I was never very co-operative and stuffed animals really didn't work." Sara laughed.

"Did you ever think of seeing one now?" Sophia asked, she was prying, maybe insinuating that she should but Sara ignored it and answered the question.

"It would just be the same as before, I learnt to deal with it and now it's a memory." Sara shook her head slightly. "A bad memory that will forever be with me but everyone has that. It's one of the reasons I became a CSI. I'm sure you two feel the same."

"Yeah, I became a CSI because of a last minute baby-sitter." Nick said, not bringing up the extended version to protect himself.

"I became a CSI because my friend from when I was a kid was killed by his mother's boyfriend. I talked to one of the officers who ten years later became my Mentor." Sophia announced.

"Being a CSI isn't a job you choose, being a CSI finds you." Sara quoted, remembering the first thing Grissom had said to her when they met at the University.

"The ones with the worst backgrounds make the best CSI's." Nick quoted remembering the slightly disturbing quote Grissom had told him when they first met.

"Anyone know Grissom's reason for becoming a CSI?" Sophia asked.

"Nope." Sara and Nick exchanged glances then thought deeply. They had known the man for around 5 years and all they knew about him was that he had an obsession with creepy-crawlies.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the lengthy wait between updates, hope this makes up for it!**

Sara lay awake, tomorrow she would have to talk about her father. A topic she had ignored and avoided her whole life. Through the crack beneath the door she could still see faint light, probably coming from Nick's room. She kept looking at the painful red numbers on the small clock, slowly ticking by the minutes she should be asleep but she couldn't. She remembered that night when she had stayed up all night. Sitting in the police station in her red pinafore, white polo shirt with her knee high socks and black Clarks sandals. The polo neck had been buttoned to the highest button so the purple marks around her neck couldn't be seen and the pinafore covered the bruises on her body while the thick layer of make-up her Mum applied every morning to her sat stiff on her skin, covering up bruises and scars.

She remembered watching the men and women walking past until one took a seat next to her.

"_Hello, my name is Andy, what's yours?" The tall man looked down at the trembling girl. His blonde hair over his face, his white lab coat over one arm._

_The little girl didn't answer; she looked down at her feet that she was swinging, her tight plaited hair falling over her shoulders. She avoided eye contact with the stranger._

"_Do you want me to loosen your braids, they seem awful tight." Andy smiled, raising a hand to touch the chocolate brown braided hair that was almost pulling the little girls scalp back._

_The little girl flinched away, glaring at the man._

"_I won't hurt you." Andy said, taking his hand away. "What's your name?" _

_The little girl trembled in fear and mouthed a word._

"_What, I can't hear you." Andy whispered putting his hand to his ear._

"_Sara." The little girl whispered, she could barely hear the word herself but Andy understood._

"_Sara?" Andy smiled._

_The little girl nodded, keeping her head down._

"_How old are you?" Andy asked, watching her bare cheek that had a thin scar down it like the fall of a tear._

_The little girl didn't answer and was still sitting on the edge of the table, the edge furthest away from Andy._

"_Okay then, let me guess. 3." Andy joked._

_The little girl shook her head softly but didn't give any indication of an age._

"_4?" Andy joked again._

_The little girl held up eight fingers but put them down as soon as she had counted them out on her fingers._

"_Eight! I thought you were only a Baby." Andy smiled. The girl still sat as far away from his as possible but he was still getting somewhere._

_A woman in a tight black suit and pin-backed hair exited the room beside them and looked down at Sara, pulling her glasses down to the tip of her nose._

"_Sara Sidle?" She said a slight accent in her voice._

_The little girl made no movement but Andy nodded, he had known the girl's name, age, story all along but his boss had told him the girl wouldn't talk to anyone so he thought he should have a try before the busy world of social workers and police officers buried the girl too deep._

"_I'll take her now Andy." The woman said, holding a hand out to the girl._

_The girl flinched and moved closer to Andy, and a lot further away from the woman. Andy put his arm around her which made her squirm away until she realised it was him or her or being alone._

"_I'll take her." Andy said._

"_She has to go to her temporary foster care home." The woman argued._

"_Sherry, I'll take her. My shifts over and I have a spare bedroom." Andy said._

"_You can't. She has to be with someone who knows how to deal with her." Sherry said sternly._

"_I can." Andy argued._

"_You can't, what do you know about children!" Sherry argued._

"_I know her." Andy said._

"_How?" Sherry snapped._

"_I was her!" Andy shouted. The little girl was scared by the fighting and loud voices and had covered her ears and her pulse was speeding faster and faster every word._

"_You're father didn't beat you and your mother to a pulp." Sherry shouted._

_With that last line Sara ran from And, down the corridor and out of the building onto the busy street._

"_Sara!" Andy shouted._

_Even Sherry looked shocked, the whole lab was out of the small labs and watching the commotion._

_Andy began to take off running before turning to Sherry._

"_Yes he did." He said._

Sara remembered that night Andy found her outside, she had gotten outside and found no-where to run so she had sat down on the kerb watching the cars whiz past. He had grabbed her in his arms and began to cry.

She had spent a whole year living at Andy's before he was killed in a drive-by shooting at a crime scene. By that time she had found out that Sherry had been married to Andy and had divorced a couple of days before Sara had arrived at the lab. She had also found out that Andy was exactly the same as her. And even though she hadn't told anyone he was the sole reason she had become a CSI.

She lay now half asleep thinking of all the times she spent with Andy. By the time the clock flickered 02:45 she was asleep.

-TCOS-

She woke up to clattering in the kitchen, the sun was shining through her curtains and the door that had been closed last night was now open. She tiredly sat up and looked at the clock. It was 9:13. At eleven she had to meet Sophia but right now she couldn't think of that. Just the clattering in the kitchen.

She got dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue top that had a glittery butterfly on it. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where Nick was. Picking up pans and pot that had fallen from an open cupboard.

"Hey honey." He smiled.

"Hey." She yawned, walking over and putting the radio on before taking a sip of the cup of coffee that sat on the table.

"That was mine." He muttered. Putting the last pot in the cupboard.

"I'll make more." She smiled.

She walked over to the kettle and switched it on, reaching into the cupboard she felt his hands snake around her waist.

"Hey." She giggled.

"Hey." He smiled, placing his head on her shoulder. "You gonna be okay with Sophia?"

"Sophia, yes. Ecklie. Not a hope in hell." She smirked.

"Do you want me to come?" Nick asked.

"No." She said bluntly.

"Why?" He asked, looking almost hurt.

"I need to face these ghosts by myself or they'll haunt me forever." She smiled.

"My girlfriend, the ghost-hunter."


	8. Chapter 8

"Sidle." Ecklie greeted in his monotonous voice. As Sara walked through the door into his office escorted by Sophia who nodded her head at him and walked back into the noisy corridor, which seemed as loud as a crowd at a concert compared to the deadly silence that filled the small room.

"Ecklie." Sara smiled sarcastically, running her tongue against her top gum. A famous Sidle trait when she was met in the face with authority.

"Sit." Ecklie gestured. "Please."

Sara sat down and glanced around the room, it was amazingly clean. Certificates adorning the cream walls and the cabinets decorated with the occasional Cactus.

"How have you been?" Ecklie asked, small talk was never his strong point and he didn't know why his brain had forced him to start with it instead of jumping into the deep end like he always did.

"Well, I was robbed, sent to a safe house where a constant army of police officers walk through and around. Told the person that broke in was actually my Father who was supposed to be dead. And then I got told I had to come talk to you." Sara said. "But other than that. Just great."

"I'm glad." Ecklie nodded.

"How have you been Conrad?" Sara smiled.

"Good, can we begin?" Ecklie said.

"Of course." Sara said, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair.

"Can you tell me about the night your father supposedly died?" Ecklie asked bluntly, showing no emotion at all.

Whereas Sara felt as if she had been punched in the chest, no-one had ever asked her outright to talk about that night. They always asked simple questions that required one word answers. She had never ever told anyone she didn't know inside and out or trusted with her life. And neither of those things Ecklie was in.

"I was eight, It was a Tuesday just over 11 at night. My mum and Dad were fighting again. I was in my room, hiding. I'd never heard it so bad. It sort of went quiet for a little while so I went to check it out. I stood in the doorway and I watched my Mum wave a knife in front of my Dad who just stood there. He was always the attacker never the attacked. He looked for things to protect himself with until he just grabbed the knife out of her hand, he took it by the blade and that was the first pool of blood." Sara stopped, Ecklie was scribbling in his notepad. He looked up once he realised she had stopped talking.

"Is this really necessary, what does my father's death have to do with him burgling my house."Sara asked.

"There was never a report about it." Ecklie said.

"I know, it was a small town Crime unit. Without a body they had nothing but a knife and they didn't have the equipment to analyze that. They just had a confession from the Wife and a little girl that needed a home." Sara looked down at her toes.

"But they found a body later on." Ecklie confirmed.

"Yeah, with my father's credit cards in it, but he gave them to his buddy years before. But I couldn't tell anyone. No-one ever asks the little girl, and even if they did. I wanted it to be him so much. If he was dead then he couldn't hurt us. Me or my Mum." Sara explained.

"How many times did your Mum stab him?" Ecklie asked.

"Once, straight through the heart." Sara closed her eyes tightly to stop the tears that threatened to fall.

"Sara what happened after your father grabbed the knife from your Mother." Ecklie asked, flicking to another page in his notebook.

"He grabbed me." Sara tried so hard to stop the tears.

"And what did he do next?"

"I don't see the point of this. I told you enough already." Sara said, standing up and walking out. She picked up the pace as she got to the corridor and began to run.

"Sara?" Catherine called after her from her place in the doorway of Archie's lab where she had seen Sara's exit from Ecklie's office.

Sara didn't answer and ran into the Car park where she realised Sophia had drove her here. She threw herself against a Concrete post, hand in fists and tears running from her eyes, dripping onto her jacket. She rested her forehead against the concrete and stood there. Not hiding, not caring if anyone saw her.

"Sara?" Warrick asked, he had seen her run through the corridor and had followed her out.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the Safe house?" Sara asked, turning round and wiping her eyes. Putting on a small smile.

"Greg and me switched shift, he said he wanted to spend some time with Nick." Warrick laughed.

"The footballs on, huh?" Sara laughed softly.

"Or he got the latest video game." Warrick suggested.

"Probably." Sara smiled.

"So, Big Bad Wolf blow too much that the Piggy grabbed her gun?" He asked.

Sara nodded.

"Ecklie's never heard of too many questions and being subtle."

"I'm sorry Sara." Warrick smiled.

"Me too, I've left you with an annoyed Ecklie." Sara said.

"I'll deal. Want me to drive you home?"

"Yeah." Sara nodded, following Warrick to his car.

-TCOS-

"Nick?" Sara called as she entered the house.

"Greg?" Warrick called.

""Through here." Came the two's voices from the kitchen.

The two made their way to the kitchen where they were greeted by a candlelit dinner for two and Greg and Nick smiling proudly over it.

"Well this ain't for us, man." Warrick smiled, walking out with Greg on his sixth.

"Hey." Sara smiled.

"Hey." He said, walking over and prising her jacket from her shoulders.

She turned round after her had taken the jacket from her and stood on her tiptoes. She kissed him softly and smiled.

"What's this for?" She asked.

"I love you." Was his only reply as he switched of the lights and took her hand walking her to the table and sitting her down then sitting himself down.

"I love you too." She replied.

"How was today?" Nick asked.

"It's only half past two and I've already gone into mental breakdown and stormed out of Ecklie's office." Sara frowned.

"Oh, Sara. What happened?" Nick asked, placing a plate in front of her that was carrying the vegetable lasagne Sara loved so much.

"Ecklie." Sara smiled. "And me."

"You two just get fired up over each other. You're ticking time bombs when you're in the same room." Nick laughed.

"According to him I'm a loaded gun with a faulty trigger." Sara said.

"You've just got a pressure sensitive trigger and Ecklie has a way of really making it blow." Nick smiled.

"Mm, let's stop talking about me and talk about you." Sara said, taking a mouthful of her vegetable lasagne.

"All I did today was cook, set the table and watch the latest Angelina Jolie movie with Greg." He chuckled.

"What does he see in her?" Sara asked.

"Looks mostly." Nick snickered.

"Nice to see he looks for the good qualities in a woman." Sara smiled.

"She's his rebound." Nick explained.

"From who?" Sara asked.

"You." Nick smiled, looking straight at her.

Sara laughed; she knew the young CSI had a thing for her, ever since they had met. He was cute and al but Nick was the only one she'd ever wanted.

"One more night." Sara looked down at her plate.

"What?" Nick asked.

"After tonight there's one more night till we have to go home, when I have to go home to the mess. The bloody carpet, the mass destruction and the visions." Sara said.

"Come stay with me." Nick blurted out.

"What?" Sara said, her head snapping up.

"Come stay with me, without the camera's, without the police cars. Just me and you for a while." Nick smiled.

"Okay." Sara nodded, what she was getting into was indefinite. But staying at Nicks for a while would definitely be a lot of fun.

-TCOS-

"I'm going to bed." Sara yawned, they had just sat through a long movie and quite honestly the two were almost ready to drop, they were lying on the couch. His arm draped protectively over her stomach and her head resting against his chest.

"Me too." He said, they both made no move to get up but they were both thinking about it.

"I don't want to move." Sara said sleepily.

"Me neither." Nick agreed.

" You're cosy." Sara smiled.

"You're freezing." Nick said, looking at her.

"Can we just stay here?" Sara asked.

"This is where the morning cops come to drink their coffee. We would be woken at the back of three." Nick murmured.

"Okay." Sara sighed, hauling herself upright and standing on her own two feet. "You coming?"

"Just give me a minute." Nick sighed.

Sara wandered upstairs and changed into her pyjamas then slipped into bed. It felt cold compared to the warmth she had felt before.

She closed her eyes and struggled to return to the sleepiness she had felt moments before. She was just about into a dreamy state when she felt something take the covers off her, Nick crawled in and she smiled as he wrapped his warm arms around her. It was a tight squeeze seeing as it was a single bed but it didn't matter.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." He replied. And within minutes they had fallen asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Sara woke up as the bright light shone through her blinds, much to her surprise she was now laying on the floor with Nick on the other side of her with the quilt beneath them. His arm was wrapped protectively around her waist as if never to let go and her hand was placed on his chest. The whole look made her remember about the case that she had worked with Greg a few months ago where the two college students were found sprawled out on the floor with a sleeping bag beneath them. Nick stirred awake and she smiled as he turned to look at her.

The sun caught her tousled brown hair making it an almost red colour, and her eyes looked so awake despite the obvious signs of sleep still in them. He smiled and fought back the urge to kiss her senseless.

"Morning beautiful." He grinned, rolling over and balancing his head on his hand.

"Hey handsome." She smiled, propping herself up on her elbow.

"How did we end up here?" He asked.

"I think I possibly pushed you and you pulled me down with you." Sara laughed, vaguely remembering coming crashing down onto his chest in the middle of the night,

"I always knew you were pushy." He chuckled.

"Get used to it Cowboy." She copied his grin.

"I can." He said, his brain not quite awake enough yet to come back with yet another flirty, cheeky comeback that they were used to giving each other.

She giggled and curled up to him, relishing in the warmth he gave off. He brushed her hair back from her face and looked at her glistening chocolate eyes.

"You're beautiful." He said.

"So I've been told." She chuckled. She had been told by many guys that she was beautiful but they were always a "sexy" beautiful not a "princess beautiful" that Nick saw her as.

He was about to respond when the house phone rang, running through the once quiet house and forcing everyone from the peacefulness and into the harsh, loud world.

"I'll get it." She sighed, realising she was more appropriately dressed for roaming around the house where other people were than Nick was.

"Come back." He called after her.

He could hear Sara answer the questions from the person on the other side with simple yes or no answers but with each word her previously happy disposition faded and she was left with an almost sad and worried one.

"Nick." She said, coming back in the room. She still held the phone in her hand and her smile had completely disappeared.

"Sara?" He sat up instantly after seeing her expression.

"I have to go into work." She said.

"Why?" He asked.

"They found him, my dad. He's in their custody but he refuses to talk to anyone but his daughter." Sara frowned.

"We'll go together." He nodded.

"But you could sleep a little more." Sara said.

"I couldn't sleep with you anywhere near dearest daddy." He said, standing up and walking over to her.

"Thanks Nick, they're coming in a little bit to pick us up." She said her face pale and emotionless.

"We'll be waiting." He said, stroking her cheek with his thumb as she leant into it before they both split and walked into their bedrooms closing the door.

Sara picked up the quilt and tossed it onto her bed before rummaging in her bag for something to wear. She changed into her jeans and underwear before she sat down and frowned. She had forgotten to pack another shirt for today and the rest of them were dirty. She frowned at her forgetfulness and rolled her eyes. Nick came through already changed into a blue shirt and jeans with his hair still tousled.

"Hey, Are you sure that's a suitable outfit for going to work and all. You know how all the guys are always ogling you." Nick laughed.

"I forgot to bring a spare shirt." She said, wrapping her arms around her bare stomach.

"Here have mine." He said, pulling his own over his head and handing it to her.

She slipped it on then looked down at herself.

"I look like I have been swallowed by a shirt." She commented.

"You look cute." He said, watching her fold the ever to long sleeves up her arms.

"So do you." She smiled, fingering his bare chest.

"I need to go and put a shirt on." He chuckled.

"If you have to." Sara sighed jokingly.

He laughed and wandered back into his room, leaving Sara to slip on her shoes and find her jacket.

They met each other at the doorstep where they both sat waiting for Catherine to pick them up.

"You sure you're going to be okay?" Nick asked, putting a hand on her own.

"Yes." Sara smiled weakly; she adored Nick's protectiveness of her.

"Remember I'm right there beside you." Nick said.

"I will."

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Nick asked,

"No, I have to talk to him without anybody there, Nicky." Sara smiled, using his nickname without thinking.

"Nicky. You only call me that when you are worried or scared, or I am." Nick said.

"Or when im really sure that I love you." Sara said.

"Who knew love could bring out the sappy side of Sara Sidle." Nick grinned.

"Love doesn't do it Nicky, you do." She grinned back, tracing his cheekbone with her thumb.

"Hey, Lovebirds!" Came Catherine's loud voice from the road, where a red car was parked with a smiling women with blonde hair and leopard print sunglasses sat inside waving them over.

"Hey Cath." Nick greeted, taking Sara's hand and walking her over to Catherine.

"Hey Nicky, Hey Sara." She smiled, pushing her sunglasses down to her nose so she could see the two people in front of her without the distortion of the dark sunglasses.

"Hey." Sara smiled, getting into the back seat followed by Nick.

"Off to see dearest daddy." Nick whispered in Sara's ear.

"I don't know what's worse: seeing Ecklie or my father." Sara chuckled.

"Ecklie doesn't look like you." Catherine piped up.

"What?" Nick and Sara asked simultaneously.

"Sara, you never told us you looked so much like your father. Well apart from the scars, the beard, the bloodshot eyes and the shaggy hair." Catherine said.

"Once you see a picture of my mum you'll realise how very much we looked like brother and sisters as a family." Sara said, remembering the comments from the children at school on the odd occasion her Mum and Dad would come to pick her up.

"Your father's got a picture for her in his wallet, she's beautiful." Catherine smiled.

"You have a picture of her in your kitchen; she's almost your twin." Nick said, remembering the picture Sara had that sat on her kitchen worktop.

"And now you'll see my father." Sara sighed as they pulled into the CSI parking structure.

-TCOS-

"Sara!" Grissom called as Sara set a foot into the building.

"Grissom." She replied.

"Ecklie wants to talk to you before you… go into…meet your father."

"Okay." Sara sighed, feeling Nicks clasp on her hand tighten.

"Only if I come too." He said.

"Ecklie only wants Sara." Grissom said.

"If he wants Sara then he gets me too." Nick said, stubbornly.

"Nick, you are of no use here." Grissom changed his tone from concerned to angry.

"I'm here to protect Sara." Nick said, clenching his teeth.

"She's not a child." Grissom stated.

"No, she never was one. Cause that idiot took it away from her." Nick snarled.

"Nick, calm down." Sara said.

"No Sara. That… that man took everything from you." Nick shouted.

"Not everything, I have you." Sara smiled softly.

"Nick, wait outside. I can't trust you anywhere near Sara's father. This is much too personal for you." Grissom ordered.

Catherine put a hand on Nick's back and led him out, he held onto Sara's hand for as long as he could before it dropped and he was taken outside.

"You didn't have to do that." Sara said as she walked with Grissom to Ecklie's office.

"He's too personally involved." Grissom answered.

"So am I." Sara said, before she entered Ecklie's office leaving Grissom outside.

-TCOS-

"Nick, what happened back there?" Catherine asked.

"I see it, every time she talks about her father, every tiny detail I see. The poor little eight year old girl hiding. Crying, Catherine. Crying because the ones that were meant to protect her let her down. She saw war every night, she put up with it. She was strong. Stronger than anyone I've ever known but she shouldn't have had to be. She should have gone to parks, had sleepovers, and went on family holidays like normal kids. She shouldn't have had to see her father beat her Mother to a pulp. She shouldn't have been beaten herself. Did you know she used to clean the house every day before she went to school, mop up the blood and get rid of the alcohol bottles just so if anyone came by they wouldn't see what happened. She didn't play doctor as a kid; she was a doctor to her Mother. I just wish someone had stopped it before it got to knives', I wish it had never happened to her Cath." Nick wept, tears trickling down his face as he tried to stop them.

"Nick, what happened to Sara is what made her Sara. I agree with you, Nick. She should have never had to deal with it and I like to imagine what she would be like if that hadn't happened. But Nick she's one of many, I wish I could protect them all, parents who do that don't deserve their children but Nicky this is Sara's battle and we have to be strong for her. She needs you. Just to be there beside her and to hold her hand, whisper all that romantic crap that makes me jealous. She needs you to be there Nick." Catherine smiled, holding has hand and smiling sympathetically.

"Sometimes I think she's stronger than me." Nick sighed.

"Oh she is Nicky. Stronger than all of us." Catherine chuckled.

Nick laughed at Catherine's comment and nodded, wiping traces of tears from his cheeks.

"I need to go pick up a few things, do you think you could escort me since I don't have a ride?" Nick asked.

"Of course, Sir." Catherine curtsied.

"Why, thank you Madame." Nick bowed, following Catherine to her car.

**Review please.**


	10. Chapter 10

"Nice to see you again, Sidle. Do I need to bolt the door or will you stay this time?" Ecklie greeted Sara with a smug smile.

Sara returned Ecklie's smile with her sarcastic one and sat down at the chair she was becoming very familiar with.

"Depends." She replied.

"On what?" Ecklie asked, sitting at his desk, lacing his fingers together in the sinister way he always did when meeting Sara Sidle.

"If you keep talking." Sara said.

"I won't keep you for long, I just have to tell you a few things pertaining to this case." Ecklie nodded.

"Shoot." Sara smiled, lying back on her chair.

"Your father was found in a hospital off the records, a Mexican drug cartel owns it, your father almost Overdosed, we found none of the stolen possessions in his possession and he won't talk to anyone. He just keeps whispering Laura." Ecklie explained.

"Laura was my mother's name." Sara stated.

"I know, are you willing to do this?" Ecklie asked.

"Yes." Sara replied, dreading the outcome of the one simple word.

"Right this way." Ecklie said, waving his hand in the direction of interrogation room 4.

Warrick greeted Sara in the observation box with a hug and stood with her as she watched Ecklie walk into her Father's room and try to make him talk.

"You sure 'bout this, Sara?" Warrick asked, taking his attention away from the one way glass.

"Yes, just so long as you promise to keep him in here." Sara gestured to Ecklie, who was leaning over the table in an intimidating posture staring down at the run-down man in front of him who muttered the same word over and over again.

"Deal." Warrick grinned.

Sara took a deep breath as she saw Ecklie angrily storm out of the room, she stepped out of the observation room and waited outside the interrogation room door.

"All yours." Ecklie smirked as he past her, coming out of the room.

Sara held the door with her hands and took a deep breath trying to regulate her breathing.

She pushed open the door and entered, the man immediately shot his head up and looked at her.

"Laura?" He asked.

Sara paused for a moment then nodded.

"Yes."

Ecklie turned to face Warrick,

"What the hell is she doing?" He asked.

"He won't talk to Sara, but he'll talk to Laura. She's helping you solve the case." Warrick answered.

"Shouldn't he realise that Laura is older now?" Ecklie asked.

"The last time he saw Laura, she looked like Sara does now. He still thinks Sara is an eight year old girl and Laura only 28."Warrick explained.

"You look different." Sara smiled sitting down at the empty chair.

"Been through some bad times." He answered, chewing at his collar.

"Like what?" Sara asked.

"Been stabbed." He muttered, his eyes sending daggers to Sara.

"This is too dangerous." Ecklie protested.

"Sara knows what she's doing." Warrick reasoned.

"You grabbed the knife first." Sara said.

The man across from her lay silent.

"Have you kept in touch with anyone?" Sara asked him, changing the subject.

"No, Brendan Sidle doesn't exist no more." He spat, gnawing on his collar still.

"Why?" Sara asked.

"Bad man, Bad man, Bad man." Brendan Sidle rattled on.

"Why bad?" Sara asked.

"Bad things." He replied.

"Drugs? Abuse? Burglary?" Sara hinted, she had an ever-growing build up of fear inside her. Fear of what her father could do, fear of if her father found out who she really was.

"Not telling." Her father-Brendan- was acting as if he was a troublesome four year old, instead of the 49 year old man he was.

"Brendan, Brendan tell me. The cops want to know." Sara pleaded.

"Laura, I'm not sorry. For nuthin." He twitched.

"Have you seen Sara?" Sara asked, throwing the question in for her own self more than the investigation.

"Sara?" He asked.

"Your daughter, our daughter." Sara smiled, reaching over a hand to him.

He jumped back and shook his head.

"What happened to her?" He asked.

"She was put in foster-care." Sara closed her eyes to block out the memories.

"Why didn't she stay with you?" He asked, rubbing his greasy face.

"I was put in a Battered Women's Institution." Sara replied.

"We get her now?" Her father asked.

"No." Sara shook her head.

"We be family."Her father nodded, the drugs in his system making his words slur and him wriggle everywhere.

"No." Sara said, standing up as she watched her father fall to the floor.

"Why!" Her father shouted, the shout she was so familiar with, the one that was often followed by a scream, a slap, a thud, a crash, and once even the drawing of a knife.

Sara stood silently as her father shook and choked.

"Why!" He repeated, using his anger to put him vertical again.

Sara opened her mouth and closed it like a fish for several moments.

"Why!" He shouted, rage burning in his eyes as he made his way over to Sara.

" Sit down." Sara commanded.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!" He spat. Shoving her against the wall.

"Sit down." Sara asked, trying to prise him off of her.

"No, Laura!" He raged as he picked up his fist.

At that moment Brass and Warrick came running through the door, Brass handcuffed Brendan and Warrick wrapped Sara in his arms.

"Sara, are you okay?" Brass called.

"Yeah." Sara nodded.

Brendan despite being under the police man raised his head and looked at the tall brunette he believed to be Laura.

"Sara?" He asked.

"Sara Sidle, LVPD Criminalist. You broke into my house, battered me and my boyfriend. If you weren't so high you'd remember." Sara said.

"Daughter." He pointed.

"No, you don't deserve a daughter." Brass commented.

Warrick took Sara outside the room as more officers went running in.

She ran a hand through her hair and cried. Warrick pulled her onto his shoulder and stroked her back.

"That wasn't meant to happen." She wept.

"It's okay Sara, shh." Warrick comforted.

"What are they going to do with him?" Sara asked.

"Lock him up; they're also bringing in a specialist to interrogate him." Warrick answered.

"Does my mother know?" Sara asked.

"Brass told me…" Warrick was cut off by Sara's name being called by a young man who was pounding down the hall.

"Sara." Nick smiled, taking her from Warrick and kissing her cheek endlessly.

"Nick." She smiled, wrapping her arms around him.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked.


	11. Chapter 11

**For CSIsnickers101-a lovely person and by far the biggest Snickers fan I've ever met!**

"Hey Nick?" She called, wrestling her auburn locks into a messy ponytail, while looking in the cupboard Nick had told her to get a towel from. She couldn't bring herself to go back to her apartment so Nick had offered to let her stay with him, their time at the safe house was over and Nick was going back to work tomorrow whereas she had the next week off. A week away from work would definitely drive her slowly insane especially if Nick wasn't with her. "Why do you have a Barbie towel in your cupboard?"

"It was from when my niece came to stay with me." He replied, walking over to her and standing behind her.

"How old is she?" Sara asked, grabbing a green towel from the cupboard, closing it and turning around to find him in front of her.

"Eighteen." He smiles.

"So it was a long time ago then?" She asks.

"No, last year. I didn't know what teenagers liked." He shrugs.

"Vampires, vampire romance." She suggests.

"Eek, sparkly vampires." He cringed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him, pulling her off her feet.

"Sometimes their hot." She shrugged jokingly. "Of course I prefer the Cowboy's in the tight jeans, cowboy boots and a hat."

"That's my girl." He grins, tipping a pretend hat from his head with one hand.

She leans in and plants one kiss on his lips before smirking and removing herself from his embrace. "I'm going to take a shower, I smell of old whiskey and cigarette smoke."

She didn't, she hadn't before she'd gone for the first shower when they came back yesterday, neither when she took that one that night, nor the following morning, nor now. It was just a smell she generally associated with her father and she wanted to be clean of him. He wanted to stop her but he supposed it would just make it worse, sure if she kept going for showers because she thought she smelt of her father tomorrow he'd talk to her but he presumed it was better to let her sort it out for herself, she was Sara Sidle after all.

Watching her retreat he waited until he heard the shower switch on then closed the cupboard and padded down the stairs to his small kitchen. Hauling open his fridge he inspected the contents; out of date take-outs of Chinese, Thai, Indian and Pizza, all very possibly growing other things that he really didn't need to know. Ripping a black bag from the roll he gathered each aged box imprinted with a different logo and shoved it in the bag, twisting and tying he put it to the door, he'd put it down the chute in a minute. Opening each of the cupboards he scanned the shelves, nothing, nothing and tinned peach- he didn't even like peach. Taking his mobile from his pocket he dialled the number for the Pizza place down the street, he was a prime example of a night shift CSI, knew the number of all the nearest take-out places in the area but needed a phone book when calling anyone outside work. Ordering one of the Pizzeria's Vegetarian specials he hung up and placed the phone on the counter. Grabbing the black bag he opened the door and disappeared down the corridor, he hoped Sara didn't get out of the shower before he came back, he didn't want her to think he'd left.

-TCOS-

"Nick?" She called, plodding down the wood stairs, a hand firmly holding the towel around her.

"Yeah Sar?" He replied, coming out of the kitchen to see her coming down the stairs, her wet hair curled around her face and the damp towel wrapped around her thin figure.

"I forgot my bag." She smiles, bending down and picking up the black bag that looked about the size of Catherine's handbag but managed to fit all of Sara's stuff to do her for a week.

"M'kay, I ordered Pizza, is that okay for tonight?" He asked. "I'll stop by the store on the way back and get real food tomorrow."

"You're talking to the Queen of take-outs Nicky. I'm good with that." She smiles, tip-toeing up the stairs again.

He chuckles to himself and rolls his eyes; compared to Sara he was amateur of a night-shift CSI life. Lifting two wine glasses from the top shelf he placed them on the bar table that sat in his kitchen. The table was set for a friendly dinner, no table cloth, no cutlery just two plates and two glasses alongside a bottle of wine. Looking at the clock he noted it would be ten minutes before the Pizza guy got there, wandering through the hallway he climbed the stairs, standing on the tiny wet footprints following them all the way to the guestroom. Entering the door without knocking he stood at the doorway, watching her slide into her jeans effortlessly.

He wolf-whistled and laughed as she spun around and lost her balance, landing on the simply made bed.

"Nick!" She laughed, breathing heavily from the shock.

"Hey." He grinned.

"Don't you knock?" She asked, buttoning her jeans up and grabbing the top that was on the bed.

"And miss a sight like this?" He teased, looking her up and down appreciatively. The figure-hugging jeans, not there stomach and white silk bra. "Besides it's my house."

She rolled her eyes and hauled the little red top over her head. She walked seductively over to him, a little pout on her face.

"Too bad." She smiled, tapping his nose with her finger and walking out the door.

He smiled and followed her, watching her as she leaped down the stairs, two steps at a time. As she walked past the door the shrill sound of the doorbell rang out, he opened it and met the Pizza boy. A twenty-something year old boy with sandy-blonde hair cut at his chin and tanned skin.

"Here y'are Sir." He nodded, handing the box and taking the green note Nick handed him with a smile before dispersing it in his trouser pocket. He wandered away and Nick shut the door juggling the rather large, extremely hot Pizza box in his hands.

"D'you want me to take that?" She asked, standing across from him, smiling at his antics with her arms crossed over her chest.

"No I got it." He nodded, making his way to the bar table.

"Men and their Ego's." She mumbled under her breath smiling, following him in.

"I heard that!" He called to her, grinning.

"Well." She shrugged, sitting down at the bar stool.

"Wine?" He asked, twisting the corkscrew into the soft wood.

She nodded and held her glass for him to fill. She smiled and he sat down, opening the box and handing her a tissue and a slice of pizza. He pushed the box to the side after taking himself a slice and watched her as she took a bite of the colourful pizza, her eyes closing and her teeth sinking into the soft feel of the Pizza.

"I love you Sara." He smiled, taking a sip of the blood red liquid in his glass.

"I love you too Nicky." She said, copying his smile.

-TCOS-

"What exactly was that movie about?" Sara yawned, sitting up on the couch.

"Aliens, Dinosaurs and Head and Shoulder's shampoo." Nick replied, yawning himself.

"So no smiley face with three eyes?" Sara asked, looking at the box for "Evolution".

"No." He answered, switching off the T.V. It was safe to say they wouldn't be watching a DVD Greg recommended them again.

"Okay." She shrugged her mind racing with many more questions but her mouth and mind too tired to voice them.

"Let's get you to bed." He chuckled, watching her yawn again. "I thought you were never tired?"

"I'm not, I'm just exhausted." She smiles, standing up.

"Aren't they the same thing?" He asked, pulling the curtains shut.

"Maybe." She smiled, yawning again and then scowling at Nick as he laughed.

"Come on Sleepy-head." He grinned, scooping her up into his well toned arms and carrying her up the stairs. If she wasn't so tired she would have kicked and shouted till he put her down but tonight she let him carry her through the doorway of the guest bedroom and drop her gently on the bed before tucking her in and kissing her goodnight.

If she wasn't so tired she would have noticed his lips lingered longer on her lips than a normal goodnight kiss, that he watched her from the doorway as she fell asleep and that the boy was head over heels in love with her.


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter is dedicated to CSIsnickers101. **

**Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you...**

**Happy birthday dear Zoe! Happy birthday to you!**

**xxxx**

"You're sure you'll be alright?" He asked, slipping into the black work boots every CSI owned.

"I'm a big girl." She smiled, sitting atop the kitchen counter in jeans and a green vest, swinging her legs gently against the cupboard beneath her.

"I know, I just don't want to leave you."

"I'm sure you'll survive without me for a few hours."

"What about you, can you survive without me for a few hours Miss "I don't want to be alone"?"

"Of course." She stated, smiling at how protective he was over her, she'd never had that before and although she wouldn't admit it to anyone she loved having that one person to look after her.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, biting her bottom lip and looking at him. "You'll only be a phone call away the whole time."

"I'll see if I can get out early, maybe around 3 or 4. That girl from Swing always gets in early so I think I'll be able to fiddle it."

"Oo, fiddle it?" She smirks.

"Yes Sidle, I'll fiddle it, all for you."

"Really for me?" She grins, playing it.

"All for you." He chuckles.

"It's dark." She says, looking out of the window above the sink.

"Yeah, it usually is when it's night time."

"It feels weird being up at this time, for the last few days I've been up in the day. It's confusing."

"Confused? Sara Sidle Confused?" He snickered. "You could sleep through the night and be awake in the day like normal people. You don't have to go to work."

"But then I'd never see you, I'd be asleep when you where awake and when you were asleep I'd be awake. Besides I'm going to work in a few weeks I need to get back to the swing of nightshift."

"Fine but wont you get bored?" He asked.

"How could I get bored when I have your massive collection of over a thousand country CD's from before you were born to today."

"Hey! I'm from Texas, that was the music I was brought up on, just 'cause you ain't got no taste doesn't mean my music's bad."

"You're the only person I know who can talk perfect English then slip into country tongue." She laughed.

"Bosh."

"What?" She asked, looking at him strangely.

"My dad used to say it all the time, means nonsense."

"I'll see you later Cowboy." She laughed, letting him kiss her on the cheek and make his way to the hallway.

"G'night ma'am, I'll be home to ma cowgirl soon." He nodded from the doorway. "And may I mention m'lady you're looking as hot as a whorehouse on nickel night."

"You flannel mouthed flirt." She said, opened mouthed in pleasant shock at his words.

-TCOS-

"Nicholas Stokes." The oh-so familiar voice of the man with the gravity defying hair came from behind him.

"Gregory Sanders." He smiled, turning round to see the once lab-tech now baby field mouse behind him grinning.

"You've been holding out on me."

"How?" He asked, knowing exactly what Greg was referring to.

The pale skinned, flirty brunette, they'd both been in competition for for over 2 years.

"What do you have that I don't?" Greg demanded jokily. "I mean really."

"Toast and butter." Nick explained, stifling a grin, remembering a year ago in a bathtub in a small home where he had indefinitely got the last laugh.

"Seriously man, what's your secret, there's no way you could reel her in with a little Texas Cowboy charm."

"How dare you insult my charm, it's better than your Rock Punk Teenager charm."

"There's nothing wrong with my charm." He pouted.

"Sure."

"So how is the Queen of Hearts?"

"Probably going to kill you once I tell her you said that but she's coping, she'd actually doing really well."

"Good, tell her if she needs anything..." He was cut off by Nick.

"That she's got me."

"And me." Greg added.

"So what's going on around CSI town lately?"

"Department lost Sara's case, it went to a different division. Grissom's been working on a bug-case while Ecklie hovers over his shoulder, Catherine and Warrick are working a triple out in Henderson, I'm working a hit and run of a young girl with Sofia and you my friend are working with Emma."

"Emma?"

"She's a temp, covering for Sara."

"Who is she?"

"Emma's a newbie, she's good at her job and I read her file yesterday and she's got the bad past down, she was born in a trafficking ring, her mother was murdered when she was a few days old and her small remaining family were killed and she was kidnapped in police custody over in New York, it was one of the cases of the Century, made most of the CSI's over there's career. They rescued about twenty girls from the ring."

"I heard about that, wouldn't that make her about eighteen though?"

"Yeah, she's graduated Police Academy though, she did it all in New York then they sent her over here."

"Smart girl."

"Very, have fun showing her the ropes." He smiled, patting him on the arm before disappearing into the tech lab just as a small girl turned the corner at the end of the hall and began to walk over to him. She was a petite girl with hay coloured hair draping messily over her face, carrying two coffee cups in one hand while juggling a manila folder in the other. She had tanned skin and bright green eyes.

"Are you Nick Stokes?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Yes, you're Emma right?"

"Yes, Emma Lindsay Macy Clark. It's nice to meet you Sir." She smiled, handing him a cup and the folder.

"Grissom gave me this, our case." She said, pointing to the folder with the labs emblem on the cover.

"Have you read it?" He asked, taking a sip of the brown liquid.

"No Sir."

"Why not?"

"I was waiting for you Sir."

"Okay, three things Emma 1. Don't call me sir 2. Always read a case file unless someone tells you not to 3. Make sure Greg's coffee isn't in the machine when you make it." He nodded, screwing up his face in disgust.

"Yes Mr Stokes." She nodded obediently.

"Call me Nick. Now let's go, we've got a DB on the strip." He smiled glancing over the black print on the page.

-TCOS-

"Sara?" He asked, coming in through the door quietly whispering in case she was asleep.

He could hear the faint sounds of a song he knew too well and he followed the music to his living room where his large stereo was loudly playing one of his favourite songs, belting out the Country rap as a tall brunette sat on the sofa and read a tattered forensics journal her tiny bare foot and blue toenails bobbing along to the music. Her wet hair was hanging meekly around her face and shoulders and she wore the same green vest and distressed levis as when he'd left her, her lips moved to the lyrics of the song but she wasn't singing.

He walked through the door and stood there, smirking at how she didn't even look up. As the two men on the CD belted out the line

"And the girls say..."

He couldn't resist but joining in.

"Save a horse ride a cowboy."

"Well it just depends on the cowboy I guess." She grinned, looking up from the journal and meeting his gaze.

"Hey Sunshine." He laughed, coming over to her and straddling her hips pulling the book out of her hands.

"Hey!" She pouted, not making any effort to reach back for the book but letting him drop a sweet, lingering kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Well Hey, how was work?" She asked, rubbing her thumb against his clean-shavin' cheek.

"There's a new girl Emma, she won't be here for long but I have to show her the ropes." He smiled, loving the feeling of her cold,soft fingers along his skin.

"Havin' fun?" She asked, moving her head as he delved down to leave a trail of kisses along her collarbone and up to her neck.

"Here? Yes." He smiled, talking against the pale, white flesh of her throat.

"No, at work." She chuckled.

"Emma knows a lot, apart from directions she doesn't need me to tell her anything which I'm glad about I was far too distracted to be thinking for two."

"What on earth could you be distracted by?" She asked, letting her hand slide from his cheek along his well-muscled arms.

"Well right now the fact your hands are like ice." He chuckled, taking both her hands and rubbing his over them generating heat. "But at work, the fact that you were home alone and that I didn't have my best friend or my girlfriend to talk to."

"Poor Nicky." She smiled, relishing in the warmth he seemed to be bringing to her.

"So how was your day?" He asked.

"Well, I tried to make tea an hour ago and set off your fire alarm close to eight times so I gave up. I've been listening to your music all day so don't blame me if I begin to twang and I've read about three forensics textbooks and I was working on the journal when you came home. I spent every minute between that missing you of course."

"Eight times? Really?" He questioned.

"I was waiting for the sprinklers." She shrugged.

"Sara Sidle, what shall we do with you?" He snickered.

"Kiss me first then we'll decide." She whispered, pulling him down onto her in a searing yet soft kiss.

-TCO**Z**-

"Are you ready to go yet?" She called from her place on the steps where she unceremoniously dumped herself after waiting for five minutes on him to emerge from upstairs.

"Right behind you." He smiled, tucking his hands beneath her arms and pulling her onto her feet.

"Geez, I thought it was women that were meant to take forever to get ready." She exclaimed, smiling as he kissed her on the cheek.

"We've still got half an hour."

"I've not been at work for what feels like months, the last week I wasn't even with you. I can't wait to get back to work." She pouted, almost whining.

"Well we'll go get breakfast first, I'm starving." He said, slipping into his shoes.

"You just ate." She chuckled.

"I'm still hungry." He complained, smiling.

"Oh well if you're hungry then let's go." She smiled opening the door and taking the keys from the peg.

Arriving at the diner they took a seat by the window, the diner was pretty much empty apart from a few cops sitting at the bar and two girls sitting in the corner booth.

"So what would you like?" A waitress asked them; smiling cheerily even though it was borderline midnight.

"Blueberry pancakes please." Nick asked, not needing to even glance at the menu as every man or woman who worked at the lab knew every single item on offer from the small diner.

"Coffee please." Sara asked, rubbing her left eye.

"Right away." The woman smiled, flicking her bright blonde hair and smiling wide enough to show her white teeth through the rose lips tinted with gloss.

They looked at each other silently, peacefully noting every piece of the other they liked, her brown eyes, his tousled hair, her snow coloured skin, his muscled body, her dusky pink smile and his dimpled smile.

They were pulled from their trance by an eruption of giggles from the two girls in the corner one had placed a large basket filled with mini-snickers, the type found in the tins of Celebrations his sister sent him almost every year. The one who had received the gift was wearing a badge saying birthday girl so it explained the present but not the contents.

"What's so funny about mini-snickers?" Sara whispered to him, chuckling.

"No idea." He shrugged.

**I'll wrap it up there for just now! **


End file.
